REPORT: YEOVIL TOWN V BURNLEY

A goal apiece from hotshot striking duo Sam Vokes and Danny Ings ensured Burnley retained second spot in the Championship table with a 2-1 win over Yeovil Town at Huish Park this afternoon.

Kieffer Moore pulled a goal back with ten minutes remaining but despite a late stirring finale, Gary Johnson’s side suffered their eighth home League defeat of the season.

Johnson opted to make just one change to the side that demolished Leyton Orient in the FA Cup last weekend with Joe Ralls coming in for Sam Foley on the right flank, having signed a loan deal until the end of the season. But it was their Lancashire visitors who started as they meant to go on, playing at a higher tempo than their hosts and controlling the game in the first half hour.

Ings scared the home fans with an acrobatic volley that just flew over the bar early on but the 1,700 Clarets didn’t have long to wait to cheer as Ings pounced with a beauty for his 16th strike of the season. Luke Ayling lost the ball thirty yards from goal and with no sign of anyone closing Ings down, he advanced and let fly from outside the box with a peach of a strike that found the top corner of Marek Stech’s net.

It took Yeovil half an hour to create a chance worthy of the name and it was Shane Duffy, up from the back, who had it but his mishit shot was blocked for a corner. Ings and winger Keith Treacy were off target with their efforts and Vokes headed straight at Stech as the half closed.

Yeovil came out for the second half with much more purpose and John Lundstram’s volley from 25 yards whistled two yards wide of the far post. But the Clarets, hot on the heels of league leaders Leicester City who won last night, weren’t in the mood to let their lead slip and Stech got down well to save from Treacy’s free kick.

Scott Arfield shot low which Stech held comfortably then set up Vokes for a flicked chance that rebounded off the near post. The woodwork was then struck for a second time in two minutes but at the other end, when Joel Grant’s shot skimmed the top of the crossbar.

Kevin Dawson was replaced by Kieffer Moore on the hour with Grant switching to the right flank and Moore hoping to offer more of a goal threat.

And there was a goal within two minutes but it was a Claret goal, this time from Vokes. Duffy was dispossessed thirty five yards out and Dean Marney pulled the ball across goal for Vokes to turn into an empty net.

Stech then saved from Vokes again before Ralls sidefooted just wide of the angle of post and crossbar for the home side. Yeovil continued to look for a way back into the game with Burnley keeper Tom Heaton tipped over a Ralls header from Joe Edwards’ cross.

Vokes missed another chance to wrap the game up when he headed wide from Marney’s cross and Moore headed a deep cross on to the roof of Heaton’s net as the game opened up.

But the striker wasn’t to be denied a minute later. After tricking his way down the left flank with some great play, he pulled the ball back on to his right foot and sent in a teasing right foot cross that eluded everyone in the penalty box and crept in at the far post.

Ed Upson, who came on for James Hayter with seventeen minutes left, tried his luck with a spectacular volley on 84 minutes but it flew wide, the last real chance despite home keeper Stech coming up for a corner and a free kick in stoppage time and nearly connecting on both occasions.